After many successful seasons at Navy with only one losing season, his first year there, Paul Johnson left the Midshipmen to become head coach at Georgia Tech. That was in 2008. The move caused many a raised eyebrow, along with big time doubt that Johnson could possibly be successful with the Triple Option offense in the ACC. In his first season, he proceeded to go win 9 Games and play in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl, losing to LSU. Most attributed his first year success to the fact that these ACC defenses were getting their first look at the option attack. Johnson and the option caught the ACC off guard.
What did Johnson do for an eNCore? He went 11-3 in 2009 and won the ACC! Last season however, Georgia Tech went 6-7 suffering it’s first losing record since 1996 and causing the doubters to come out of the woodwork oNCe again and question whether or not the option can work in a Conference like the ACC. Could it be that ACC teams have figured Johnson out? Will Georgia Tech now be a mediocre football team as long as Johnson is there running the option? We don’t think so.
Paul Johnson is one heck of a football coach. At Georgia Southern, in 5 years he compiled a 62-10 record and won 2 Division 1-AA Championships. He then moved on to NAVY where he compiled a record of 45-29 and went to Bowl Games in 5 of his 6 seasons there. He then moved on to Georgia Tech where he is now 26-14, winning 9, 11 and the 6 Games and playing in 3 straight Bowls. Can Paul Johnson coach? You be the judge. 14 years as a head coach, one losing year.
Georgia Tech returns 6 or 7 starters on the offense and 5 on the defense. Tevin Washington gets the nod at QB and has already seen duty filling in for an injured Nesbitt last season. The offensive line needs to fill some holes however defensively, the line may be the strongest part of the unit. The defense is led by former Virginia, Wake Forest and New York Jets head coach Al Groh who enters his 2nd year as defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech.
The Schedule would seem to work out very favorably in 2011 for Georgia Tech. With the exception of playing at Miami Florida and NC State, each and every other tough Game is at home. Their other road Games consist of playing at Middle Tennessee, Virginia and Duke. North Carolina, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Georgia are all home Games for Georgia Tech.
Bottom Line? We can’t imagine Paul Johnson not continuing to win at Georgia Tech. The guys a fantastic college football coach. Al Groh running the defense makes this team even stronger, especially with this being his 2nd year and the team now more comfortable with his schemes. It’s a 6 win team a year ago that now has a chance to avenge some close losses from a year ago, most of them at home.
Online bookmakers have listed Georgia Tech at odds of 25-1 to win the ACC and 12-1 to win the ACC Coastal Division.
2011 Georgia Tech Football Schedule
9-1-11 WESTERN CAROLINA (Thur.)
9-10-11 at Middle Tennessee
9-17-11 KANSAS
9-24-11 NORTH CAROLINA
10-1-11 at North Carolina State
10-8-11 MARYLAND
10-15-11 at Virginia
10-22-11 at Miami FL
10-29-11 CLEMSON
11-10-11 VIRGINIA TECH (Thur.)
11-19-11 at Duke
11-26-11 GEORGIA